Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kyle Eastwood: Time Pieces

10

Kyle Eastwood: Time Pieces

By

Sign in to view read count
Kyle Eastwood: Time Pieces
Double bassist, composer and producer Kyle Eastwood unveils a timeless treasure with his seventh album as leader on the sensational Time Pieces, capturing the mood and aura of the 50s and 60s jazz scene blending two standards from the era with rich new compositions incorporating the sensitivities and flavor of that time period. It has been seventeen years since his debut album and along the way, Eastwood also enjoys working on film music where he has composed and arranged scores for his famous father Clint Eastwood's Oscar nominated films "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," and "Letters from Iwo Jima," which is reprised here with a scaled down version arranged for piano and bass.

On this album, Eastwood—who performs here on the electric, acoustic and fretless bass—returns to his jazz roots and influences as he includes music from some of his favorite jazz musicians notably, Horace Silver and Herbie Hancock and admits that much of the originals on this recording, are infused with elements of such influences. The bassist ventures into the modern jazz territory on a ten-piece repertoire where, with the exception of the light melancholy original "Vista,' the brief duet with pianist Andrew McCormack on "Letters from Iwo Jima," and the humbling "Nostalgique," he leads a working quintet of young English musicians in documenting a vibrant session of powerful swinging sounds.

The clock starts ticking on the imaginative and funky original "Caipirinha" featuring the leader on the electric bass, the trumpet voice of Quentin Collins and sharp solos from saxophonist Brandon Allen as the band opens in impressive style. The Silver standard "Blowin' the Blues Away" is s burner of a tune capturing more hard-driving grooves from both the trumpeter and saxophonist but this time, also brings pianist McCormack and Eastwood to the fore with a terrific solo moments supported by strong stick work by drummer Ernesto Simpson.

Eastwood introduces the mid-tempo Hancock tune "Dolphin Dance" arranged with a light texture to it also features horn man Collins on a graceful flugelhorn dance that marks the piece which is followed by the perky grooves of the Eastwood/McCormack original "Prosecco Smile." Dedicated to the late Horace Silver—who passed away during the recording of the project—"Peace of Silver" is another powerful number featuring pronounced solos from Collins on the horn, while the sensual "Incantation," as the press sheet states "finds a direct heart line to the lyricism of Wayne Shorter."

Closing out the set as it began, Eastwood and band perform another high-octane number with the energetic and electrifying "Bullet Train" featuring torrid solos from Allen on the soprano, Collins on the trumpet, a piano foray from McCormack, splashing cymbal accents by Simpson and firm steady lines by the leader on the acoustic bass—all making for one dramatic clock-stopping exit. There's no question about this one, Kyle Eastwood's outstanding Time Pieces succeeds in delivering a measure of swing, swagger and grace in a musical package that's perfect for any time.

Track Listing

Caipirinha; Blowin'the Blues Away; Dolphin Dance; Prosecco Smile; Vista; Peace of Silver; Incantation; Letter from Iwo Jima; Nostalgique; Bullet Train.

Personnel

Kyle Eastwood: electric bass, acoustic bass, fretless electric bass; Brandon Allen: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Quentin Collins; Andrew McCormack: piano; Ernesto Simpson: drums.

Album information

Title: Time Pieces | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Harmonia Mundi Jazz Village Music

Comments

Tags

Concerts


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.